Foot conditioning apparatus



April 22, 1952 A. HYDE FOOT CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed May 25, 1950 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED S TAT-ES PAT EN T OFFICE FO0.'1 CONDITIONING APPARATUS Alex Hyde, 'Santa Barbara, Calif. Application May 25, 1950, Serial .No. 164,262

' .9 Claims. (01. liar-260) My invention relates to :means for relieving oot troubles such asa'thleteis foot and other skin irritations. In .general the .invention seeks to provide a tray for holding a spongy mat, provisions being made for maintaining a constantsupply of medicating liquid in the tray for applying the liquid to ones foot when one steps on the mat, so that the foot is bathed with the healing liquid.

More specifically, the invention comprises a tray having a marginal wall defining a chamber in the bottom of which is located a layer of a material, such :as .synthetic sponge, which functions as a wick for conveying a healing liquid from a place where it is fed into the tray. over the entire bottom of the tray. there being a sponge rubber layer having a rubberized fabric strip on the bottom located over the synthetic sponge layer and provided-with a plurality of holes which pass through the sponge rubber layer and .the rubberized fabric to the upper surface of the sponge rubber, through which holes the healing liquid is squirted upon application of foot ,pressure on the sponge rubber layer.

A further object of the invention is to provide two separable units one of which is a liquid reservoir-constructed to cooperate with the tray .as the other unit, the reservoir and the tray being interengaged so that the reservoir-is in partsum ported outside'of the tray and in partis supported within the tray, the reservoir being preferably provided with a pair of legs one of which has a valved outlet through which, when the reservoir is assembled with the tray, the liquid contents of the reservoir may escape into the traychamber.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part will .be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and-ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in the following detailed description, and then be particularly pointed out-1n the appended claims. reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which? Fig. '1 is a section on the line jl "l of'Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, on a reduced scale, of amodified tray assembly.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the-synthetic sponge layer.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail vertical section "of the valve set and valve attachment.

Fig. 6 is an enlargeddetail section on the line 6- 6 of Fig. 3.

In the drawing, in which like numeralsofuref-erence indicate like parts in all the figures, l represents a tray having a marginal wall defining :a recess or chamber 2 in which, in superposed layers, are located respectively a layer of synthetic sponge .3 havi g high capillary characteristics and a thicker layer of sponge rubber 6 .on the bottom of which layer B is integrally secured a sheetof rubberized fabric 1. The "sponge rubber and its rubberized fabric sheet have a series of vertical holes or passages 18 for a purposepresently to appear.

'llhe synthetic sponge 3 and the sponge rubber and fabric layers 6, 'l have portions removed therefrom such as portions 5 and 9a, Figures 3 and 4 to provide spaces adjacent one of the marginal Walls of the tray I for the front legs .12, l2 of the liquid reservoir Ill. The reservoir 10 is preferably of an ornamental form and is provided with a pair of projecting portions I i .having the front legs I2, 12 with the leg l2 having a value controlled outlet therein. The reservoir is also provided with a pair of rear legs or feet l9 and lug-like portions 20, the latter together with the front legs or feet l2, 12 providing a grooved portion 2| which fits over the .side of the tray .1, as best shown in Fig. l of the drawing, thus holding the reservoir from movement toward and from the tray and holding it interengaged with the same.

The synthetic sponge 3 comprises a material having the property of conveying the liquid from the reservoir outlet under the entire area of the rubberized fabric 1 by capillary attraction. Ihe synthetic sponge has greater capillary action than does the sponge rubberfi.

In Figs. 3 and 6 I have shown aslightmodification in which, in place of the synthetic sponge layer 3, I provide a layer 3 of a denser material and on theunder side of which I provide a series of longitudinal and transverse grooves 22 for conveying the liquid from the outlet .of the reservoir to the various holes 8 The embodiment .of the invention employing the synthetic sponge layer} is preferable, however. to the modified form using the grooved platein obtaining an even distribution of the liquid through the chamber 2.

In practice after assembling the tray unit the reservoir 10 is inverted and then filled with the healing liquid to be used, after which a valve unit jl3 is placed over an opening in the bottom of the inverted leg l2 and fitted tightly thereon, a spring clip 4 being provided to hold the unit IS in place, as best shown in'Fig. 2. Thereservoir is then turned over to its upright position, whereupon the valve 18 closes the outlet 1'5. Upon assembling the two separable units, namely, the reservoir with the tray unit I, the button l8 will engage the bottom of the chamber 2 and through the stem ll raise the valve [6 far enough from its seat in the valve unit l3 to allow liquid to flow from the reservoir outlet l5 into the tray.

The synthetic sponge layer is provided to hold a surplus of liquid in the bottom of the tray. This liquid-will be brought up through the holes in the sponge rubber when the sponge rubber is stepped on. The action of the synthetic sponge is entirely diiferent from that of the sponge rubber since the liquid will climb up and completely saturate the synthetic sponge, while the sponge rubber is more or less repellant to the liquid.

I have found that a one-fourth inch layer of the synthetic sponge on the fioor of the tray will milk off the contents of a gallon feed bottle with the bottle mouth only one-eighth inch off the bottom of the tray. The liquid will not run out of the bottle or reservoir mouth without contact with the synthetic sponge until the mouth of the bottle is three-eighths inch up from the bottom of the tray. Then when liquid does start running out it fills up in the tray to one-eighth inch or less from the inverted bottle mouth level. By the use of a one-fourth inch layer of synthetic sponge on the floor'of the tray the level of the liquid in the tray can be kept much lower than in any other way and splash waste of the liquid can thus be avoided. As one steps upon the sponge rubber, the liquid is forced up through the adjacent holes 8 and around the foot. The capillary layer 3 serves to soak up the liquid that spills over the edge of the sponge rubber 6, and the liquid is thus prevented from overflowing the tray.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is thought that the construction, operation, and advantages of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. Foot-treating apparatus including two separable units, one of said units comprising a reservoir having a pair of front legs one of which pair is an outlet leg, the other unit comprising a tray having a recess or chamber, a layer of material possessing high capillary characteristics on the bottom of the tray, and a layer of sponge rubber having a rubberized fabric sheet on its bottom, said layer of sponge rubber lying on the first mentioned layer of material and having a plurality of vertical holes through the sponge rubber and its rubberized fabric sheet, said layers having portions removed to provide spaces for the front legs of the reservoir, said reservoir having portions interengaged with the rear wall of the tray and having rear legs for supporting the reservoir outside of the tray.

' 2. Foot treating apparatus composed of two separable units, one of said units comprising a; tray having a marginal wall "embracing a chamber, and the other unit comprising a liq-j I 3. Foot-treating apparatus composed of two separable but cooperative units: one of said units comprising a tray having a marginal wall surrounding a recess, and liquid distributing means in said recess, said means having openings adjacent one marginal wall; the other unit comprising a liquid-holding vessel having a pair of legs adapted to rest on the ground, and a second pair of legs to fit over said wall of the tray adjacent which said openings are located, said second pair of legs extending into said openings, one of said'second pair of legs having a bottom opening to deposit liquid in said tray recess.

4. Foot-treating apparatus composed of two separable but cooperative units: one of said units comprising a tray having a marginal wall surrounding a recess, and liquid distributing means in said recess, said means having openings adjacent one marginal wall; the other unit comprising a liquid-holding vessel having a pair of legs adapted to rest on the ground, and a second pair of legs to fit over said wall of the tray adjacent which said openings are located, said second pair of legs extending into said openings, one of said second pair of legs having a bottom opening to deposit liquid in said tray recess, said liquid-distributing means including a sponge rubber mat beneath which is located a layer of material having greater capillary action than has the sponge rubber, said sponge rubber mat having a plurality of vertically disposed holes for conveying liquid from said layer of material through said sponge rubber mat to the top of the same when the mat is stepped on.

5. Foot-treating apparatus composed of two separable but cooperative units: one of said units comprising a tray having a marginal wall surrounding a recess, and liquid distributing means in said recess, said means having openings adjacent one marginal wall; the other unit comprising a liquid-holding vessel having a pair of legs adapted to rest on the ground, and a second pair of legs to fit over said wall of the tray adjacent which said openings are located, said second pair of legs extending into said openings, one of said second pair of legs having a bottom openingto deposit liquid in said tray recess, and a valve and seat unit fitted onto the leg having the bottom opening, said valve and seat unit including a valve seat and a valve normally resting on said seat, said valve having a depending stem which will on contact with the bottom of the tray raise the valve from its seat.

6. Foot-treating apparatus including two separable units, one of said units comprising a liquid reservoir; the other unit comprising a tray having a marginal wall defining a liquid receiving chamber, said reservoir having a grooved portion formed therein detachably engaging the marginal wall of said tray with a portion of the reservoir positionedwithin the tray, the por: tion of. said-reservoir positioned within said tray having an outlet therein for thepassage of liquid fromsaid reservoir to the tray and means in said ,tra y for distributing. liquidffrom" said reservoir.

-7. Foot-treating apparatus including two sep:

arable units, one of said units comprising a liquid reservoir, the other unit comprising a tray having a marginal wall defining a liquidre-,--

ceiving chamber, said reservoir having a grooved portion formed therein for detachably engaging QJDLOQI portion of said reservoir positioned-within said tray having an outlet therein i'orfthe passage of liquid from the reservoir to thelrtray.

8. A foot-treating apparatusinoli'iding a tray having a chamber for a medic'ating liquid, a layer of synthetic sponge material positioned on the bottom of said tray, saidfsfpor'ige material having high capillary characteristics for holding the liquid in said chamber, a laver of Sponge rubber positioned in said tray onfsaid first layer and yieldable under the weight of a person stepping thereon to force the 1l1iqui;d from the first layer of material through jthesecond layer of material for applying the liquidfito the foot of said person. H

9. A foot-treating apparatus including a tray having a chamber for a medieating liquid, a layer of synthetic sponge material positioned on the bottom of said tray, said sponge material having high capillary characteristics for holding the liquid in said chamber, a layer of sponge rubber having a rubberized fabric sheet positioned in said tray with said rubberized fabric REFERENCES orrEn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,992,648 Browne Feb. 26, 1935 2,170,553 Eilers Aug. 22, 1939 1 FOREIGN PATENTS Nurnber Country Date Germany Mar. 1, 1901 

